Amsterdam to Zurich
Austrian rail service Nightjet has
spearheaded the sleeper boom,
rolling out night routes since
its launch in 20 16. New to its
network is a route connecting the
Netherlands with Switzerland; the
train also links with the Eurostar
in Amsterdam, meaning there’s
just one change for travellers from
London to Zurich. Fares from
€59. 90 (£50). nightjet.comGraz to Warsaw
This summer, the existing Vienna-
Warsaw Nightjet service will be
extended to Austria’s second
largest city. Departing Graz, the
train will call at Ostrava in the
Czech Republic and then Krakow
before arriving in the Polish
capital before 9 am. All Nightjets
run on 100% green energy in
Austria. Three-bed sleeper from
€64.9 0 (£55) each. nightjet.comStockholm to Hamburg
Sweden will feel even closer to
the European mainland with SJ’s
soon-to-launch sleeper. From
September, the SJ EuroNight will
depart Stockholm and zip through
Malmö, Copenhagen and Odense
before arriving in Hamburg. It’s
also a sustainable ride: the sleeper
will run on 100 % renewable
energy in Sweden. Second-class
sleeper from €79. 90 (£67.30). sj.seSLEEPER TRAINS
RAIL RENAISSANCE
Europe’s railways are being revolutionised by a new generation of sleeper
trains with plush cabins, speedy wi-fi and even handcrafted cocktailsParis to Rome
After a 14-year hiatus, Belmond
relaunched the Venice Simplon-
Orient-Express route between the
French and Italian capitals this
April. Luxuriate on board restored
1920s carriages with a glass of
Champagne before tucking into
a four-course dinner with cheese
board, coffee and petits fours.
Twin cabin from £3,353.
IMAGES:belmond.com
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Rome to Istanbul
The Orient Express is returning to
Italy in 2023 with a collection of
La Dolce Vita routes, traversing 14
Italian regions. Perhaps the most
alluring is the route to Istanbul
aboard historic Italian wagons:
from Rome, the train will stop in
Venice before tracing the historic
route to the peerless Turkish city.
Fares TBC. orient-express.comBrussels to Prague
European Sleeper is a Dutch-
Belgian cooperative launching its
first route this summer, linking
Brussels and Prague. From
Belgium, the overnighter glides
through Amsterdam, Berlin
and Dresden and arrive in the
Czech capital at around 10.30am.
Fares TBC. europeansleeper.eu
STEPHANIE CAVAGNAROFrom top: Istanbul Grand
Suite on board the
Venice Simplon-Orient-
Express; the Venice
Simplon-Orient-Express
passing through the
Brenner Pass, Austria